British Colonial Furniture
Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.
As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.
Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.
To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.
Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany, Rosewood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Rattan
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Glass, Wood
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Brass
18th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Paint
1920s Indian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Metal
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Italian British Colonial Furniture
Reed
20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Terracotta
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Maple
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Bamboo
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Late 18th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Walnut
1890s Antique British Colonial Furniture
Teak
Early 19th Century Bajan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Persian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Furniture
Composition
20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Wrought Iron
1920s Burmese Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Teak
20th Century Balinese British Colonial Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Upholstery, Rattan, Paint
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Grasscloth, Faux Bamboo, Reed
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Teak
20th Century Moroccan British Colonial Furniture
Brass
1930s Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Glass
18th Century French Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wood
1880s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Algerian British Colonial Furniture
Wood, Paper
1970s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Natural Fiber
20th Century British British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1920s Persian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo, Cane
Early 1900s British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Faux Leather
21st Century and Contemporary British British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Oak, Upholstery
Early 19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Mahogany
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Stone
1950s Indian Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Cane, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American British Colonial Furniture
Metal
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown British Colonial Furniture
Bamboo
1880s English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American British Colonial Furniture
Composition
1940s English Vintage British Colonial Furniture
Silver Plate, Nickel
Late 20th Century Philippine British Colonial Furniture
Leather, Zebra Hide
Mid-19th Century Antique British Colonial Furniture
Iron
19th Century Sri Lankan Antique British Colonial Furniture
Ebony, Satinwood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Furniture
Brass